


Metal and Stone

by conceptstage



Series: Single Chapter Critical Role [61]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 14:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18236387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conceptstage/pseuds/conceptstage
Summary: The throne room scene from Beau's point of view.





	Metal and Stone

At first Beau doesn’t realize what’s happening. She sees Caleb pull out the Beacon and it’s like all the air from the room is sucked out at once and replaced with ice. Everyone around them freezes, the hands grabbing at her clothes and the arms wrapped around her waist and torso fall away slowly like tree sap dripping off a branch. She hears metal clatter against stone in a symphony as all the guards drop their swords.

There’s movement in the corner of her eye and she looks over as the Bright Queen rises from her throne and glides down the stairs. Even in the starkly quiet room, her footsteps make no sound at all. Or maybe it’s just that she can’t hear the footsteps over the rushing of blood and the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

The Queen’s stance doesn’t seem threatening, but still, when Caleb sits the Beacon on the cold stone floor, Beau grabs him by a leather strap and yanks him back hard, stepping in front of him to block the Queen’s line of sight. Even the too loud sound of his displeased grunt doesn’t shatter the tense air in the room.

The Queen hands her staff to someone nearby, who takes it without looking, his dark eyes wide and his muscles tight like a spring ready to pop. She sweeps down with an elegance Beau hadn’t thought possible and takes the Beacon in her hands. “You bring us hope,” she says, her whispered voice loud in the silence. She looks up to meet Caleb’s eyes but Beau glares at her and pushes the wizard farther behind her back. He stumbles slightly and reaches out to hold her shoulder to keep from falling. The glare doesn’t seem to bother the Queen as she continues, meeting Beau’s eyes instead, and then moving to meet each of the others’ in turn. “And you have undone one of many great wounds against us today. I have no words. Many emotions burn within my chest. If you are no friend to the Empire...” She sweeps into a standing position and towers over the monk, finally catching Caleb’s eyes over Beau’s head. “...you have certainly today become heroes of the Dynasty.” 

Caleb’s hand tightens into a fist on the back of her cloak and Beau silently agrees.

What. The. Fuck.


End file.
